[Mageia-dev] Mageia repository sections, licenses, restrictions, firmware etc

[Wolfgang Bornath]

2010/10/13 Marc Paré <marc at marcpare.com>:
>
> Yes, I have always seen this as a communication problem from the Mandriva
> documentation. However, it did fit the "at arm's length" legal definition of
> the installation of these pieces of software. That is to mean that Mandriva,
> in this case, was not complicit in the installation of that particular
> software. It was clearly a user decision to install them.

+1

It's easy to communicate, it's easy to implement fitting even those
"dumb" users some people are talking about. Yesterday I installed the
new Ubuntu 10.10, a window opened near the end of the installation
process telling me that my hardware may need/use a non-free driver
which is available online. The text explains about the non-free status
in simple words and then I was asked if I wanted to activate this
non-free driver.
The same can be done with all that codec stuff. A window opens,
telling the user that he will need some special software to listen to
MP3s, watch his commercial DVDs, etc. The text explains in simple
words the legal implications which may or may not apply to his
country. After that he can decide with a simple mouse click on yes or
no or "ask later" (if he has no working internet connection at that
time. If he clicks on "activate", the needed software will be
downloaded and installed. If he clicks on "ask later" he will be asked
as soon as the script detects a working internet connection.
If he has selected "No" and still tries to open a commecrial DVD (or
whatever) the window ill appear again reminding him why he can't play
the DVD (or whatever).

Face it: we do not have any other choice but leave it at the user's
decision. All we can do is make it simple if he chooses to bite the
bullet.